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Beneil Dariush of the UFC.

Longtime UFC lightweight contender Beneil Dariush released a statement after he was knocked out for the fourth time in five fights.

Dariush was brutally stopped in the first round of his UFC Perth co-main event against rising star Quillan Salkilld on Saturday. Now 36 years old, Dariush has suffered consecutive knockout losses and has been stopped by strikes four times in his last five outings. He has actually been knocked down in five straight fights, including during his decision win over Renato Moicano, which is sandwiched in between his streak of knockout defeats. A fan favorite for over a decade, it’s been hard watching the likeable veteran take so much damage lately, and it is becoming concerning for fans to see it continue to happen.

Beneil Dariush Eases the Minds of His Fans

Dariush took to social media following the loss to release a statement, assuring them that he’s okay despite the brutal KO defeat. According to the veteran, he thankfully has no serious injuries.

“I’m good friends. I have no injuries and I appreciate everyone checking on me. I’ll be taking some time off and heading over to Sydney tomorrow for the week. God bless,” Dariush wrote on his Instagram.

Dariush is considered one of the most respected fighters in not only the UFC lightweight division but the UFC as a whole, so to see him get knocked out again was difficult to see. That being said, it comes with the territory of being an MMA fighter, so Dariush knew what he was getting into when he signed the contract to fight Salkilld, a young knockout artist who looks like he’s going to be a lightweight title contender for many years to come.

What’s Next for Beneil Dariush?

Naturally, many fans and media are going to suggest retirement when the question about what’s next for Dariush comes up. The fact that he has been getting so brutally knocked out lately is extremely concerning, as when a fighter’s chin starts to go, it often goes away for good. Dariush, who has been in the UFC since 2014, has suffered seven knockout defeats during his UFC career overall, which is a very high number for a lightweight fighter. So it’s not disrespectful to suggest that Dariush hangs up his gloves, as no one likes to see a fighter who is continually getting slept continue to take unnecessary damage in the latter stages of his career.

If Dariush does continue to fight, however, then he will likely be given the same kind of opponent that Salkilld is in his next fight. That is, a young, up-and-coming stud who is super dangerous and who can put him to sleep again. To be fair to Dariush, the guys he has been losing to are all fantastic opponents, so you can’t say that he’s unable to compete at the UFC level anymore. But given his tenure and salary in the promotion, the UFC won’t be giving him easy fights. If he does fight again in the Octagon, look for him to get another fighter on the rise who the UFC is trying to promote, just like Salkilld.